The Illinois High School Association journalism state finals was held at Heartland Community College on Saturday, April 25.

Since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, gas prices have risen by well over $1 nationwide, and in March, they jumped up by nearly 21% compared to the previous month, the Associated Press reported. Just this past week, prices rose an average of 56 cents per gallon in Illinois.

36 districts are under review as the Justice Department examines opt-out policies and classroom content surrounding gender and sexuality, with the potential for probes to expand to bathroom and sports team access.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois Accountability Commission is also sending letters to local law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution of federal immigration agents amid Operation Midway Blitz

From Capitol News Illinois: Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey proposed changes to electronic monitoring rules, but said his plan would not call for returning to the use of cash bail. JB Pritzker blamed the judge in the case for deciding to release the man accused

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill to strengthen privacy protections for transgender and abortion patients in Illinois passed a Senate committee Wednesday in a 9-4 partisan vote.

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the Senate will not move forward with a constitutional amendment rewriting the state’s redistricting rules after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday

Lone Star ticks have historically been found in the South and Eastern portion of the U.S., but have been rapidly migrating into the Midwest over the past few years, due to climate change and rising temperatures, health officials said

Joliet may have an extended weekend like none other with a unique series of events starting Thursday that pay tribute to the city’s place in history and its future.

From Capitol News Illinois: A first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program in Illinois launched by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association provides online college coursework and real-life experience

Joliet city officials say the search for the next police chief "will not be limited geographically—internal, regional, and national candidates will all be welcome to apply."

From Capitol News Illinois: In an unexpected move Wednesday, prosecutors said they intend to pursue the dismissal of the main conspiracy charge against a handful of politically active protesters who demonstrated outside a federal immigration facility this past fall

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that IBM will bring its FutureNow innovation and delivery hub to Chicago’s South Side, bringing an estimated 750 new full-time jobs in supercomputing fields, such as cybersecurity, AI and data science

The $1.3 million project, which consists of resurfacing the 1.2-mile stretch of Illinois 50, shoulder widening and sidewalk ramps, is expected to be completed in September.

From Capitol News Illinois: U.S. District Judge Rubén Castillo, who chairs the commission, confirmed for the first time that the commission is planning to refer prosecutions of agents who abused their power to Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke

From Capitol News Illinois: The mother of a young woman to whom the Trump administration dedicated Operation Midway Blitz testified to the Illinois Accountability Commission on Monday, saying her daughter would not have wanted this legacy

Despite limited research and transparency, Illinois counties have continued to launch new mental health courts, and advocates call for more, raising big questions about fiscal accountability and oversight

While some movement in a school district’s teaching staff is normal, poor teacher retention hurts student achievement and hits districts financially, studies show. It can cost nearly $12,000 to recruit, hire and train a new teacher.

From Capitol News Illinois: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld all of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s bribery and other corruption convictions, writing in a 29-page ruling Monday

From Capitol News Illinois: A federal agency says Illinois can’t limit credit card swipe fees for federally chartered banks, even though a federal judge earlier this year ruled that it could.

High turnover can mean instability for teachers, making it harder for them to improve student outcomes, research shows. How does your school compare?

From Capitol News Illinois: Water supply concerns are furthered by the development of data centers, particularly in regions with depleted aquifers

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois launched two websites last week that share various work, training and volunteer opportunities that meet federal food assistance work requirements

From Capitol News Illinois: A Cook County judge will rule next month on a petition to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate — and possibly charge — alleged abuses by federal immigration agents during the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” deportation campaign

The new system offers park users a more user-friendly system for making reservations and securing permits, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said.

Allie Werner of Peotone, Illinois was recently awarded the William Ahrens Scholarship by the Township Officials of Illinois.

Multiple sources have told Capitol News Illinois that a report detailing allegations against State Rep. Harry Benton was filed with the legislative inspector general’s office.

From Capitol News Illinois: Proponents of BUILD argued that the primary driver of the current housing affordability crisis is a lack of supply caused by legislative hurdles and different municipal priorities

The ramps are expected to reopen in 2028, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Both villages look toward a Winnebago County case that sided with local control over solar projects. The Will County Board last week was forced by court order to approve six local solar projects.

From Capitol News Illinois: Lawmakers emphasized the need for transparency about how much water data centers use to cool their facilities at the final of three data center-focused hearings in the House Executive Committee

From Capitol News Illinois: It’s looking increasingly likely that Illinois voters will not see an amendment about creating a “millionaire tax” on the ballot in November

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois House voted to approve a constitutional amendment that would make a new priority list for lawmakers as they redraw legislative district lines. Even if the Senate agrees to support the amendment, voters would still need to approve it

From Capitol News Illinois: A 2025 nationwide report on statewide early childhood education found that Illinois stalled in efforts to expand preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. A flat budget for the upcoming fiscal year may further stall Illinois’ progress

From Capitol News Illinois: In response to the nationwide school bus driver shortage, a partnership emerged between Illinois schools, transportation providers and the secretary of state

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker signed an executive order Tuesday barring state employees and elected officials from using information obtained in their official capacity to place bets on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi

From Capitol News Illinois: Facing the specter of losing the Chicago Bears to Indiana, the Illinois House unveiled a new version of property tax legislation that the team says is a prerequisite for building a new domed stadium in suburban Arlington Heights

State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, is sponsoring a bill that would create special Illinois license plates alerting police officers that a driver or passenger has autism

From Capitol News Illinois: Democrats are also considering asking voters to approve a millionaires tax amendment in November, but it’s not clear if they will be able to pass that resolution before a May 3 deadline

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill that cleared the Illinois House would give the state’s EPA emergency rulemaking powers to address plastic pellet spills and their affect on stormwater runoff

The Citizens Utility Board is calling for the Illinois Commerce Commission to reject a proposed merger between the parent companies of the state’s two biggest private water utilities

From Capitol News Illinois: A federal judge on Monday officially closed the book on a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration last fall when the White House ordered 500 National Guard troops to Chicago as the “Operation Midway Blitz” mass deportation campaign escalated

Officers will be in the restaurant, in the drive-thru and on the rooftop asking for donations to support Special Olympics of Illinois.

From Capitol News Illinois: An Illinois House committee got an overview this week of how data centers are driving up energy demand and threatening potential shortfalls in the second of three planned hearings on the matter.

“I think about the communities of Manhattan, Peotone and Manteno who feel helpless when accidents keep happening,” said state Sen. Patrick Joyce, a Democrat from Essex.

Will County Board OKs votes on solar projects under court orders, then passes resolution seeking changes in state law to regain control over renewable energy projects.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois House and Senate approved hundreds of bills this week ahead of a Friday deadline, including a plan proposed by Gov. JB Pritzker to limit cell phones in schools

The Northwest Illinois Film Office is proud to announce the return of its signature event, the sixth annual Northwest Illinois Film Festival: Shorts‑A‑Palooza 2026.

A Whiteside County jury pool allegedly includes dozens of deceased individuals, prompting a defense motion claiming systemic flaws in how Illinois compiles jury lists

From Capitol News Illinois: Public school teachers in Illinois may soon have to add Latin Americans to the list of ethnic groups whose contributions to American history and culture must be taught in class